Matthew Havertz

Research

Which Call-to-Action Invitations Effectively Increase Total Subscribers On YouTubeI applied for and was awarded a $1,600 grant to design and execute a research project of my own. I researched the efficacy of different types of call-to-action techniques in YouTube videos. Many YouTube video creators ask their viewers to, “Click here to subscribe.” Through my research I discovered certain techniques are more effective at soliciting that type of action than others. I have submitted my research for presentation at the WSU Undergraduate Research Conference. Additionally, I have submitted my research to be published in Ergo, Weber State University’s undergraduate research publication.

Resilience, Coping Skills, Ego Identity, Family History and The Narrative ParadigmIn my communication theory class at Weber State, I learned about the foundational communication theories. I wondered how family history narratives would appear through the lens of the Narrative Paradigm, developed by Walter Fischer. I specifically examined the biographical stories of John Hyrum Green and Amos Cook. I knew about studies positively correlating knowledge of genealogy narratives with emotional well-being, family functioning and identity achievement. I further wondered if the Narrative Paradigm could explain such correlations. I developed a survey and used another previously developed survey to test my hypothesis among my own family. This research was used for my final in the class; I received a perfect score.